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The Florida Panthers routed the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-1 in Game 7 to advance to their third-consecutive Eastern Conference final. The Maple Leafs fall to 0-6 in Game 7s in the Auston Matthews era.
Brad Marchand improves to 5-0 against the Maple Leafs in Game 7s. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 19 of 20 shots.
The Panthers' quest to win back-to-back Stanley Cups remains alive. For Toronto, another year without winning the Stanley Cup.
Game 1 of the Eastern Conference final between the Carolina Hurricanes and Panthers begins on Tuesday night.
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Panthers eliminate Maple Leafs in Game 7 with dominant second period: Takeaways
Auston Matthews was pointed in what happened in Game 7 tonight for the Maple Leafs.
"We were just not on the same page," Matthews said.
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Brad Marchand was a man possessed in the 13th Game 7 of his NHL career, grabbing a fifth Game 7 victory against the Maple Leafs alone.
The oldest man on the ice finished with a goal and two assists to run his personal total to 37 playoff points against Toronto – second-most all-time behind only the 53 scored by Detroit Red Wings legend Gordie Howe.
Marchand, a trade deadline pickup from the Boston Bruins, finished with a team-leading seven points in the second-round series.
As for his approach to Game 7, the 37-year-old says he’s learned to enjoy these moments, win or lose. It allows him to play free and leave it all on the ice.
“I mean, these are the games that you talk about forever,” said Marchand. “They’re the moments that, if you go on to have a run, that you always look back on and you talk about the moments within the game that allow you to win. Teams that win them and go on to win a Cup, they’re the moments where you look back and everyone’s like ‘If you don’t win that your Cup run’s over.”’
By winning the series, the pick Florida is required to send to Boston in the Marchand trade upgraded to a 2027 first-round pick from a 2027 second-rounder.
That’s a price the Panthers will gladly pay.
John Tavares was visibly emotional after Game 7.
"That's not good enough," Tavares said on his team's performance.
He said he "isn't going to quit" as he tries to bring Toronto home its first Stanley Cup since 1967.
"Never going to stop trying."
After not experimenting with his forward lines all that much through the regular season, Craig Berube began throwing darts at the board with the game all but over in the second period, including pairing the likes of Max Domi and Max Pacioretty with Matthews and Marner.
In the third period, a Hail Mary emerged in the form of Tavares beside Matthews and Marner.
Nothing worked.
Hindsight is 20-20, but the second and third periods were a reminder of the benefit of trying different combinations through the regular season to have options in your back pocket. Instead, the new combinations stunk of desperation from a team that was just treading water by the third period.
For any NHL franchise that finds itself down and out, the Panthers are the new gold standard for how swiftly fortunes can be turned around.
Consider that when head coach Paul Maurice was hired on June 22, 2022, the Panthers had four series victories to show for their entire 28-year existence.
Since then?
They’ve won nine of their last 10 series heading into the Eastern Conference Final against the Carolina Hurricanes. Maurice took over a team known for run-and-gun hockey that won the Presidents’ Trophy and turned them into the suffocating, forechecking beast they are today.
Florida has played 303 games over the last three seasons and still they battle on.
“I was that guy that was born on third and brags about the triple,” said Maurice. “They had 122 points before I got there and I coached that down to 92 the next year. It’s there. It’s in the men. And really the other story is (GM) Bill Zito and the people he’s brought into our group.”
Still, Maurice deserves immense credit for pushing all of the right buttons.
With his team trailing 2-0 in this series, he replaced his entire fourth line for Game 3 and saw them score a big goal. He also flipped wingers on his top two forward lines and changed up the defensive matchups to slow down Toronto’s second line after a red-hot start from Nylander.
In a little over six minutes, a series of avoidable errors sunk the Leafs.
Morgan Rielly’s failed pinch attempt in the neutral zone eventually led to the Panthers’ first goal. Joseph Woll struggled to get his glove hand on Brad Marchand’s shot from distance and Anton Lundell scooped up the rebound. William Nylander stopped moving his feet while trying to defend in his own zone before the Panthers’ third goal.
But you could feel these mistakes coming, too. How to sum up how relentless the Panthers’ assault on the Leafs was to start the game?
After 40 minutes, the Leafs had allowed the most shot attempts through two periods of any team in any game all season. It didn’t matter that most of those attempts failed to hit the net. What mattered was that the Panthers simply wore down the Leafs and the home side had no answer.
The most troubling aspect was that they acted like it, too. The Leafs looked far too tentative while defending and failed to mount any sort of pushback when it counted most.
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Let it all out, Leafs fans. This is a safe space.
Justin M: Hope Marner gives Brad the same courtesy Matt Tkachuk did and get a sign and trade in the works if he no longer wants to be a Leaf.
Ultimate W: At least the Jets put up a good fight and lost on the road. There is no way in hell that the Jets would lose this badly in a deciding game at home. Absolutely freaking pathetic.
Mark: Good series, Leaf fans. I’m sorry someone had to lose.
Bruce B: Props to whoever decided to play Linkin Park's "Numb" during the handshake line.
Charles W: Change is needed, I just hope that whomever is/will be making the decision has the fortitude to make meaningful change. This next season might need to be 1 step back to make 2 steps forward the following year.
Brad Marchand is new with the Florida Panthers. But he's been a huge contributor to this team that's now in the Eastern Conference final.
"It's for moments like this," Marchand said. "We've been building to play a certain way."
Brad Marchand scored an empty-net goal for the Florida Panthers. He now is 5-0 against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 7s.
The Toronto Maple Leafs record in Game 7s in the Auston Matthews era (since 2018) is 0-6.
Not good enough.
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P3 0:00 – Panthers 6, Maple Leafs 1
The Florida Panthers rout the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 7 to advance to the Eastern Conference final.
Who else but Brad Marchand. He makes it 6-1 for the Florida Panthers with an empty net goal.
P3 5:00 – Panthers 5, Maple Leafs 1
Under five to go, the Panthers lead by four. The boos continue to ring at Scotiabank Arena.
P3 8:50 – Panthers 5, Maple Leafs 1
Under 10 to go in Game 7. Fans are booing and leaving the rink. Inching closer to the final buzzer here.
The only positive for Toronto fans.
Fans have thrown a jersey and a hat on the ice during play. PA announcer tells Leafs fans they will be removed and can face "criminal penalties" for throwing things on the ice.
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P3 10:36 – Panthers, Maple Leafs 1
Sam Reinhart scores off the faceoff to make it a four-goal lead for Florida.
Fans are exiting Scotiabank Arena. A jersey is tossed onto the ice.
As was the case in Game 5.
So bad.
P3 10:39 – Panthers 4, Maple Leafs 1
Joseph Woll stops Niko Mikkola's blast from the point. We're approaching halfway through the third period.
Toronto needs to score.
P3 13:24 – Panthers 4, Maple Leafs 1
The first TV timeout of the third period and it's 4-1 Panthers. The clock continues to trickle down. Leafs continue to mix up their lines.
That Luostarinen goal feels like a dagger. We shall see.
